West Bridge Journals

One cold night…

I had one foot on the dock, and the other in the boat and the next thing I know my legs are stretched into a perfect straight split. As the boat mysteriously push farther away, my foot slip off the dock and into the water I went. The shock from the very cold water took my breath away.

This is a fishing story, and as with most fishing stories you should always remember that fishermen are born honest, (but most get over it). And just so you will know, I have been known to talk and write about adventures I have had, so anyone that hangs with me is subject to have their side of the story told my way.

Life on the farm is good, hard work, but a good life. I was a chicken farmer for about 12 years. My friends and neighbors, the Burnetts did some of it all, with hay, tobacco, corn and chickens. And as is on any farm, there were always chores to do from dawn to dusk, so sometimes, if you wanted to go fishing, it had to be at night. This was a while back before the days of computers, cell phones, and cable TV too, so during the day you usually found your way to the neighbors farm, to do our communicating and discuss important issue, like “You wantta go to Cherry Lake tonight?”

One night in the early spring we did just that. After check my tackle box, to make sure I had a supply of Culprit or Berkley Plastic Worms, hooks and bullet sinkers, I hopped into Michael’s truck, careful to brush the bottom of my boots off. Michael can spot a grain of sand in the carpet of his truck from 10 feet away. Keith was in the middle and we talked fishing and hunting all the way to the lake.

After launching the boat, we started trolling around the lake fishing around the docks where the bass like to hang at night. Most docks at the lake had lights over them, and the bream like to eat the bugs that the light attracts, and the bass like to eat the bream. And we like to eat the bass, so it was a win win deal for all. Kind of a circle of life thing, you see. My friend Gene, from church, our local Ichthyologist, is better at explaining this than I can.

Since we were expert bass hunters, we fished using the Texas Worm Rig around those docks and the trees at waters edge at night. I loved it because it was weedless, (most of the time). I have to admit that I am superior bait caster, hitting my target at least two out of ten tries, and getting the lure out of the trees and off the dock is a lot easier with a weedless rig.

Now Michael, (running the trolling motor), and with whom I’ve had lots of fishing adventures, had to be taught patience when fishing with someone as skilled as me. You see, I know where the bass are. He is right under the very edge of the dock, or under that low hanging tree limb, so you have to put your lure where he is. And two out of ten times I put it right on him. He may choose not to bite, but that is fishing. So, on occasion I may hang the lure on a limb or the dock, as all great fishermen do.

The conversation that night went something like this; “I’m hung on the dock.” “Again!” “Yes, you turned the boat too sharp, and I overcast a little.” “A little, you are on the other side of the dock!” “Well, that is where the bass is.” “Pull up so I can get my lure out of the tree. Can you reach my lure, it crossed over Keith’s line. Pull up to the bank, I caught land bass.” “Again!” “Back up,I’m hung on a limb or something, can you see what it is. Pull over to sea wall, I’m hung.” “It is on that dog chain.” How did it get there? I barely cast it to the waters edge.” “Well it is 20 feet in that mans yard and caught on that big dog’s chain, so cut your line.” “That’s a new worm.” Well, you go get it.” “I’ll cut the line.” “David, you threw it over the boat house.” “No, I just bounced off of the side.” “It’s over the house.” “Well, if you hadn’t set the hook on that fish so hard I would not have flinched.Oh man that was a new worm. That two I’ve lost tonight.” “Try casting in the water.” Keith can you unhook me there. Well, it was one of your old hats anyway. Pull up to the dock so I can get my lure. Closer, closer, hold the boat, hold the boat, I’m going to fall, pull up Michael, pull up!” SLASH!